AI-assisted summary
• Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb left the game with a concussion after making six catches for 121 yards.
• Despite Dak Prescott throwing for 376 yards, the Cowboys’ offense committed two turnovers that led to Lions touchdowns.

So much for running the table.

The Dallas Cowboys went to the Motor City and not only saw their hopes for a mad dash to the playoffs likely go up in smoke on Thursday night, they saw the epitome of their season on full display at Ford Field.

Sure, they had a chance against a team nearly as desperate as they were. There was a lot of resilience. Dallas (6-6-1) fought back to make it a three-point game early in the fourth quarter – even without CeeDee Lamb, knocked out of the contest with a concussion to abruptly end his six-catch, 121-yard impact.

There was a lot of Brandon Aubrey, too. Typically. The Cowboys’ MVP special teamer kicked five field goals and became the first player in NFL history to nail three treys of at least 55 yards in a game. Just brilliant. Where would this team be without him?

In the end, though, it turned out to be a big tease. It was so Dallas. The Cowboys were riding a three-game winning streak, including triumphs over the Super Bowl 59 participants, that put them above .500 for the first time all season. Then poof.

What happened?

Too much Amon-Ra St. Brown. Too much Jahmyr Gibbs. Too much heat on Dak Prescott, who gamely threw for 376 yards but was sacked five times and threw two picks.

And on a night when the Cowboys needed George Pickens to step up with Lamb sidelined, the “other” No. 1 receiver went MIA.

St. Brown, on the other hand, was TBD all week (at least publicly) because of an ankle injury. Never mind practice. The gritty Detroit receiver showed up and balled out with a six-catch, 92-yard measure on the stat sheet that was punctuated by his receptions in the clutch and a ton of inspiration.

If any player represents the soul of the Lions (8-5), it has to be St. Brown, who entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2021 and now has two first-team All-Pro selections on his resume. This time, he bounced back from the ankle injury that knocked him out of the Thanksgiving Day loss against Green Bay – just like his team.

The Lions just won an NFL-record-tying 15th consecutive game following a loss.

Now that’s some identity. They can take a hit and rebound.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, just had a game that reflected so much about this roller-coaster season. For all of the reasons for hope under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, the big issue that left them stumbling at 3-5-1 a month ago – suspect defense – turned up again when there was little room for error.

No question, the improved-yet-not-complete unit was put in some terrible positions. Prescott’s first pass after halftime was intercepted as it bounced off Pickens, setting up a quick Lions touchdown. Before that, tight end Jake Ferguson had the ball punched out for a fumble that gave Detroit a short field for a touchdown drive.

On a night the Cowboys needed complementary football to protect the defense (1 sack, 0 takeaways), they blew that equation. Then, by the end, the defense was worn down by the physical Lions, unable to get the key stop that might have, could have…

Well, never mind.

Rather than run it, the Cowboys were likely pushed off the playoff table.  

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

Victor Wembanyama remains unavailable for the San Antonio Spurs. The Frenchman is dealing with a left calf strain, a situation that’s already kept him sidelined for multiple weeks.

He hasn’t played for the Spurs since a 109-108 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 14.

The Spurs entered Friday with a 15-6 record, managing to win seven of their nine games since Wembanyama’s absence started.

Wembanyama has averaged 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4 assists in 12 games played this season, career highs in all three statistical categories.

When is Victor Wembanyama expected to return?

The Spurs have not provided a timetable for a possible return since he was diagnosed with a calf strain in November.

Luke Kornet is expected to serve as the Spurs’ primary center until Wembanyama’s return.

Follow the World Cup draw with live updates and find out who the USMNT and soccer’s best will be facing during the 2026 tournament.

For many soccer fans, the World Cup is the pinnacle of the sport. It offers spirited competition, nationalism, and an authentic sporting environment with fans from across the globe journeying to the host county to watch their team play on the largest stage.

That experience is furthered by the presence of country mascots. It has become tradition for the host country to deliver a tournament-wide mascot ever since World Cup Willie, a humanoid lion, became the face of the 1966 tournament in England.

Sixty years later, though, that tradition is taking its next step. With three countries hosting games for the upcoming tournament, just one mascot won’t cut it. Here’s a look at every country introducing a costumed representative for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Who are the 2026 World Cup mascots?

With the United States, Canada and Mexico all hosting games for the 2026 World Cup, three mascots will take the field.

Maple the Moose (Canada)

According to FIFA’s website, Maple is an artist and goalkeeper with a ‘heart full of strength and leadership.’ He also routinely journeys ‘across all of Canada’s provinces and territories while connecting with people and embracing the country’s rich culture.’

Zayu the Jaguar (Mexico)

Zayu reigns from the jungles to the south of Mexico. He plays striker on the soccer field and displays fantastic agility to defeat defenders. Zayu also ’embraces Mexican culture through, dance, food and tradition, uniting people across borders with passion and pride.’

Clutch the Bald Eagle (United States)

Clutch, a midfielder, is a leader, according to his FIFA bio. He ‘leads with action – rallying teammates, lifting spirits and turning every challenge into an opportunity to rise higher.’ Clutch’s most notable characteristics are his ‘unquenchable thirst for adventure,’ ‘boundless curiosity,’ and ‘fearlessness.’

Which cities are hosting the 2026 World Cup?

Canada

• Vancouver
• Toronto

Mexico

• Monterrey
• Guadalajara
• Mexico City

United States

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Dallas
• Houston
• Kansas City
• Atlanta
• Miami
• Boston
• New York
• Philadelphia

When does the the 2026 World Cup take place?

The 2026 World Cup will start on June 11, 2026. The tournament moves to the knockout stages on June 28, with the final set for July 19.

AI-assisted summary
• North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker went from a zero-star high school backup to the nation’s leading passer.
• Mestemaker was given a walk-on spot by coach Eric Morris despite never starting a varsity high school game.
• The redshirt freshman has thrown for 3,835 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first year as a starter.

After the 2023 high school season, the zero-star recruit — per 247Sports’ Composite — started training with Jeff Christensen, a quarterbacks specialist known for working with Patrick Mahomes. Christensen, who knew North Texas coach Eric Morris, reached out to the Mean Green coach on Mestemaker’s behalf.

“Hey, you need to watch this kid throw,” Morris recalled Christensen telling him.

Morris replied: “I got a walk-on spot, just send me his tape and I’ll get him evaluated.”

There was just one problem.

“He started laughing and said, ‘That’s the thing. He didn’t play last year,’” Morris told USA TODAY Sports. “And I’m like, ‘Come on. You want me to take a kid that couldn’t even play in high school?’”

Morris eventually offered Mestemaker a roster spot, despite him never starting a varsity game at quarterback. Morris, who has built a reputation as a quarterback guru after mentoring Mahomes, Baker Mayfield and Cam Ward, among others, trusted what he saw in Mestemaker’s size and raw ability.

It ended up being one of his best decisions as the Mean Green’s coach.

Fast forward to 2025, and the 6-4 redshirt freshman leads the country with 3,835 passing yards while throwing 29 touchdowns to four interceptions. The first-year starter will compete for a College Football Playoff bid when the 20th-ranked Mean Green (No. 24 CFP) play No. 21 Tulane (No. 20 CFP)  in the American championship game on Friday, Dec. 5, at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.

Mestemaker is also set to be one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the transfer portal, should he decide to leave North Texas for a bigger school. Morris, who’s finishing the season with UNT, has already accepted the head coach position at Oklahoma State. Morris’ previous starting quarterbacks at North Texas transferred to Power Four programs, a common trajectory for players from non-power school in this era of college sports.

The quarterback is tabling that discussion for now, and is focused on leading North Texas to one of its best seasons in program history. After all, he battled his way from high school backup to “camp arm” — as Morris called him — to one of the best quarterbacks in the sport. 

All he needed was a chance.

“I was just happy to have the opportunity to prove myself finally,” Mestemaker told USA TODAY Sports. “I kind of felt like it was a fresh start to wipe the slate clean and prove that I belong here and this is someplace I belong. I think just taking it one day at a time and kind of having that extra chip on your shoulder of, ‘I’m gonna prove why I belong here and prove the kind of player I am really helped me.”

‘It wasn’t the end of his story’

Prior to college, Mestemaker’s last start at quarterback came for his 9th grade junior varsity team.

He rotated in as a sophomore on junior varsity and was the backup to Brayden Buchanan — who now plays baseball at Baylor — as a junior, when Vandegrift reached the 6A-II state championship game. Mestemaker was set to start as a senior in 2023 until 3-star quarterback Deuce Adams, now at Louisville, transferred in from nearby Canyon High School in New Braunfels, Texas.

The two competed through spring practices and fall camp. Adams won the job.

“We just happened to have two really good quarterbacks and sometimes people have a hard time understanding that,” Vandegrift coach Drew Sanders told USA TODAY Sports. “But they probably don’t live in the state of Texas.”

Rather than transferring to create tape for college programs to evaluate, Mestemaker didn’t sulk, opting to stay at Vandegrift and help his team in other ways.

He played safety and punter as a senior, earning all-district honors at both positions. He also earned the football team’s “Second to None” award, the program’s highest honor and named after Matthew Vandegrift, the school’s namesake. Vandegrift, who was in the Marine Corps, died in Iraq in 2008. 

“He could have easily transferred, easily gone somewhere else,” Sanders said. “But he decided to stay with his team and the community and the coaches he had grown up with. And I think that says a lot about his character.”

Mestemaker drew little college interest as a recruit. A Division III program offered him as an athlete, and he was set to attend Laney College in California, a junior college program, before landing walk-on offers from Sam Houston and North Texas.

“I really didn’t know what or how I was going to be able to end up at a college that wanted me to play quarterback,” Mestemaker said.

Eventually, a tryout invitation came from North Texas, and Mestemaker impressed at the Mean Green’s facilities. Morris said Mestemaker’s technique was “almost flawless.”

Mestemaker wasn’t a typical walk-on, though, which Morris and North Texas soon realized when he moved to Denton, Texas.

“It was a disappointing part of his story but it wasn’t the end of his story,” Sanders said. “And he continued to work.”

‘I felt like I was a last-ditch effort’

Mestemaker started his freshman season buried on North Texas’ depth chart, repping with the fifth- and sixth-string players in practice.

It didn’t take long for the walk-on to move up the ladder. He was the only North Texas quarterback to take snaps in 2024 behind starter Chandler Morris, who’s now at Virginia and also aiming at a CFP berth.

Morris entered the transfer portal prior to North Texas’ First Responder Bowl vs. Texas State, opening the door for Mestemaker to start his first game at quarterback since his freshman year of high school.

“He had practiced so well but kind of by the same token, we’d never seen it in live action with the lights on in a stadium with 30,000 screaming fans,” Morris said of Mestemaker’s opportunity.

Mestemaker quickly put those doubts to bed, passing for 393 yards with two touchdowns while rushing for 55 yards and another score. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the 30-28 defeat, but made his case to be the starter going forward.

It was his first extended action at quarterback in over four years, after all.

“I had the pressure off me because they didn’t really expect much of me,” Mestemaker said. ‘I felt like I was a last-ditch effort. They kind of just threw me in there because I had been the backup the whole year.”

A few weeks later, North Texas added Reese Poffenbarger, a transfer from Miami who backed up No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward in 2024. Poffenbarger, who passed for more than 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns in two seasons at Albany, was expected to compete with Mestemaker for the starting role.

Mestemaker once again found himself in a similar situation to his senior year of high school. This time, he couldn’t give up his chance.

“Once I got that taste of being out there on the field, I knew I couldn’t give it up,” Mestemaker said. “And so, this offseason I really did everything I could to be in a great mental state and win the team over, and win the battle eventually.”

Mestemaker has rewritten the record book in his first season as the starter, even breaking an American Conference record for passing yards in a game (608) in a 54-20 win over Charlotte on Oct. 24. It was the most passing yards in an FBS game since 2020, and was the most by a freshman in the past 30 years, according to North Texas.

It’s no surprise to see one of Morris’ disciples put up huge numbers: Morris worked with Case Keenum as a low-level offensive assistant at Houston. He also coached NFL quarterbacks in Mayfield and Mahomes as the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech from 2013-17. He found Ward as a 0-star recruit as the head coach at Incarnate Word from 2018-21. In his lone season as the offensive coordinator at Washington State, Morris recruited now-Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who was previously committed to FCS Central Arkansas.

Mestemaker might not become the caliber of player Keenum, Ward, Mayfield or Mahomes are, but Morris says his latest protege shares a similar trait with the high-level passers:

“I think they all have the unique ability to process information really fast,” said Morris, who played receiver at Texas Tech from 2004-08 under Mike Leach. “And I think when you’re able to do that in this system, I think you really get rewarded for it.”

The pairing of Morris and Mestemaker has led North Texas to new heights. The Mean Green broke into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1959 this season, breaking the longest streak of any program in FBS.

The Mean Green are also peaking at the right time, with six consecutive wins after their 63-36 home loss to South Florida on Oct. 10. And Mestemaker has been a huge reason why, with only one turnover in those six games since throwing three interceptions against the Bulls in October.

‘Keeping the main thing the main thing’

Eric Morris’ past two starting quarterbacks — Chandler Morris and Chandler Rogers — transferred to Virginia and California, respectively, after big seasons. When Eric Morris left Incarnate Word for Washington State in 2022, he brought Ward to Pullman before Ward left the next season for Miami. Mateer, who replaced Ward the next season at Washington State, left for Oklahoma after his first season as the starter.

Mestemaker told USA TODAY Sports he isn’t thinking about his next move yet. Still, he’ll have plenty of options that’ll be hard to pass up, including reuniting with Morris at Oklahoma State.

“I love coach Morris and everything he has done for us and for me, specifically,” Mestemaker told reporters after North Texas’ 52-25 win over Temple to close the regular season. “But it’s something I honestly haven’t even thought about. I think if you’re in the season thinking about what you’re going to do after the season, you’re just missing out on what we play the game for, honestly.”

Morris, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports prior to taking the Oklahoma State job, has watched prior North Texas quarterbacks leave for Power Four opportunities the past two seasons. He said his and Mestemaker’s relationship is one that goes beyond whatever comes next for the young quarterback.

“You just build great relationships with kids and you do things for the right reasons,” Morris said. “And once decision time comes for different decisions, you handle it with maturity and being able to talk about it. I think this one’s a little bit different just because we were the ones that gave him the opportunity and I think that’s something he’ll forever be grateful for. 

“I mean, shoot, he didn’t get an opportunity to throw a pass for his high school football team. I mean, that’s a crazy statement when you think about it. Those things I think naturally will take care of themselves when you treat people the right way.”

For now, Mestemaker is focused on finishing what he started after going from relative unknown to one of the sport’s best in a matter of months.

“Just keeping the main thing the main thing,” Mestemaker said. “Especially at this point in the season whenever we have a chance to do some big things here. You just gotta take it one day at a time and do everything you can to win each game.’

AI-assisted summary
• Penn State’s 54-day coaching search has reportedly moved to Iowa State’s Matt Campbell.
• The search follows the controversial mid-season firing of coach James Franklin.
• Iowa State faces a significant financial gap, making it difficult to compete with Penn State’s resources.

We’re not splitting atoms here. We’re talking about hiring a football coach. 

Yet Penn State has somehow botched this rather simple process of firing and hiring a coach so badly, this train wreck of what not to do will be remembered for decades to come.

Especially if the Lions somehow stumble into the best hire of the offseason, and land Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. 

We learned, according to multiple reports, that Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft’s painful 54-day coaching search has moved to Campbell, the 46-year-old who has spent 10 seasons at Iowa State despite the elite of football trying to pry him away.

Southern California tried, so did Notre Dame. So did the Bears, Jets, Browns and Lions of the NFL.

He told everyone no, and instead continued to build in the peaceful solitude of yesteryear at Iowa State. Where what’s most important to him — the very principles of what college sports should be — are embraced. 

Developing players and young men. The value of a quality education. The college experience. Personal growth.

Now Campbell is on the verge of leaving what he carefully constructed, for a job with an athletic director who fired James Franklin after he averaged 10 wins a season. Worse, Kraft fired Franklin six games into this season, after Franklin brought Penn State to within a play — one play — of advancing to last year’s College Football Playoff national championship game. 

So yeah, of course this is how it would all play out in State College. The most brutal firing in maybe the modern era of the game, followed by Penn State stumbling into Campbell because it missed on multiple other opportunities. 

And not only did the Lions miss, they raised an already stratospheric coaching market by forcing schools to pay top dollar to coaches who were never leaving for Penn State in the first place.

Curt Cignetti isn’t leaving a potential national championship team at Indiana. Matt Rhule, despite being best friends with Kraft, isn’t leaving what he’s building at Nebraska — isn’t looking former five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola in the face and telling him he’s escaping. 

Clark Lea can (and more than likely will) get a lifetime deal one day from Vanderbilt, and Eli Drinkwitz is winning 9 or 10 games annually at Missouri despite playing in the toughest conference in college football.

Seeing those realities is simply reading the room. Or Coaching Search 101.

Meanwhile, there’s Campbell, whose school is trying its best to compete financially with the heavy hitters of the sport and failing miserably. The Iowa State athletic department has a $147 million “funding gap” through fiscal 2031.

Iowa State can’t remotely compare to Penn State with the ability to generate revenue for private NIL deals, the key to attracting elite high school and transfer portal players. Penn State showed this offseason how committed, going all-in with a handful of high-dollar transfer portal additions.

Meanwhile, Campbell has annually done more with less, cobbling together lower-tier high school recruits and second-level portal additions while coaching and developing them as well as anyone in the game. 

Iowa State just finished national signing day with the 50th-ranked high school recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite. The class has one four-star recruit, and 21 three-star — and not one of the 22 are nationally ranked. 

For years, members of Campbell’s coaching fraternity wondered what he could do with a blue blood budget, and the ability to recruit and coach elite-level talent. Now he’s closer than ever to getting that opportunity if he wants it.

Unless Kraft fails to read the room again.

Semantics are only so important, but Thursday night’s showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions at Ford Field wasn’t so much “must win” for each team as it was “can’t lose.”

When all was said and done, it was the home team that remained standing, the Lions emerging with a 44-30 victory. It didn’t elevate Detroit, which sits third in the NFC North, into the conference’s projected playoff field just yet but, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the Lions (8-5) now have a 54% chance of qualifying for the postseason for a third straight year.

Meanwhile, Dallas (6-6-1), which truly couldn’t afford to lose, now has just an 7% shot of making it to Week 19.

As we know, the scoreboard reveals the primary plot line, but there are winners and losers beyond it. Thursday night’s are as follows:

WINNERS

Jahmyr Gibbs

Are we prepared to crown him the Lions’ best player? Maybe that’s just a belated and obvious statement to many? But the multi-talented running back had another impactful night, scoring a trio of touchdowns – giving him 47 in his career and at a time when the offense is missing injured TE Sam LaPorta and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was at less than 100%. Gibbs, now tied with Lions legend and Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, needs one more TD to have the most by a player in his first three NFL seasons.

Dan Campbell

His Lions haven’t been nearly as dominant this season while battling key injuries – DB Brian Branch may be the next one – and trying to adapt to a largely overhauled coaching staff. Yet Campbell won’t let this team fall into a rut, the Lions continuing to avoid their first regular-season losing streak since 2022. Detroit has now tied a league record with 15 consecutive victories following a defeat.

Philadelphia Eagles

As spotty and battered as they’ve been in recent weeks, Dallas’ loss gives the reigning Super Bowl champs a full two-game lead in the NFC East with five to play in the regular season.

Brandon Aubrey

He became the first kicker since at least 1991 to drill three field goals of at least 55 yards in a single game. Dallas’ amazing long-range sniper hit from 57, 55 and 63 yards Thursday and threw in a 42- and 29-yarder for good measure. He’s the first player ever to rack up 100 field goals in his first three NFL seasons and the only player to connect from at least 60 yards six times.

Cowboys run game lineage

He’s not Tony Dorsett or Emmitt Smith, but RB Javonte Williams, in his first year with Dallas, hit 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the first time in his five-year career Thursday night. Williams joins Rico Dowdle, Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott as the fourth different Cowboys to reach the benchmark in the past five seasons.

Thursday

Fascinating aside from the NFL’s research wing. The Lions’ 46 wins on Thursdays are the most in league history. The Cowboys have 44. Those, naturally, are functions of the teams’ decades-long presence on Thanksgiving. Yet given both clubs traditionally host on Turkey Day, they’d actually never met on a Thursday. Until now.

CeeDee Lamb

The Cowboys’ Pro Bowl wideout had six catches for a season-high 121 yards, the Lions basically unable to cover him.

LOSERS

CeeDee Lamb

While selling out in a bid to catch a pass in the end zone early in the third quarter, Lamb’s head hit the turf hard. He appeared to immediately show signs of a head injury and was soon ruled out of the game with a concussion, though he was able to walk to the locker room. Tough way to end what was shaping up as a great performance.

Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers

They’ll meet at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon with first place in the NFC North on the line. And while the winner will take outright possession of it, the loser will be in danger of falling into Detroit’s clutches. The Pack haver already swept Detroit, but the Lions shellacked Chicago 52-21 in Week 2 and will see the Bears again in Week 18.

George Pickens

Lamb’s wingman had a quiet night (5 catches, 37 yards) when his team really needed a loud performance. Pickens’ lack of impact occurred on an evening when he and Dak Prescott didn’t seem to be on the same page based on some animated interactions on the Dallas sideline. Per former Pro Bowl cornerback and current Prime Video analyst Richard Sherman, Pickens “looked uninterested.” Yep.

Jerry Jones

The Cowboys owner doesn’t appear on the injury report, but consider him week to week – and, in this case, it could be a long 10 days between games, Dallas’ next one at home on Dec. 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. In the interim, the guys Jones notably traded for this year, Pickens and DT Quinnen Williams, were virtually invisible in the biggest game of the season for America’s Team. Meanwhile, the dude who’s gone – former Dallas DE Micah Parsons – continues thriving for the Packers … and sure would have been a welcome asset Thursday when Lions QB Jared Goff was rarely pressured while efficiently running Detroit’s offense. Jones’ team technically remains on playoff life support, but he knows it will be read plenty of last rites in North Texas and across the country over the next week and a half while he catches much of the blame.

• We’re supposed to believe the committee was genuinely moved by Alabama’s performance in the Iron Bowl? Yeah, right.
• CFP rankings adjustment gives Alabama breathing room if it loses SEC Championship game.
• Weekly College Football Playoff dog and pony show is just programming until selection day.

As I watched College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek answer Rece Davis’ questions during ESPN’s latest round of its weekly dog and pony show, I considered the surrealism of it all.

I’m watching one grown man lie to another.

Court reporters must think the same thing.

Anyway, it beats digging ditches for a living.

Wouldn’t it be better for all of us, though, if a CFP selection committee chairman ever just told the truth in these interviews? Instead, we suffer through stories like how Alabama’s narrow win against a lousy Auburn team in the Iron Bowl helped it climb in the rankings — huh? — or that one particular play call inspired the committee to buoy the Tide.

Yeah, right.

With that in mind, I’ve reimagined how the interview could have gone, if all parties told the truth.

Davis: Alabama moved ahead of Notre Dame. Why?

Yurachek: Well, Rece, the committee looked at our rankings from the last couple of weeks, and we realized, ‘By gawd, we’ve got a problem.’ You see, if we kept Alabama at No. 10, we could have a wee issue of having to boot the SEC’s runner-up, if BYU won the Big 12 championship and Georgia beats Alabama.

Davis: Right. The rest of us noticed that weeks ago.

Yurachek: Well, cut us some slack. Our last chairman quit a few weeks ago, remember? Doing the best we can while some of us juggle full-time jobs. I just hired a football coach. Did you notice?

Davis: I did notice. How are the fans taking to the hire there in Hogville?

Yurachek: Erm, don’t you have another playoff question you want to ask?

Davis: Sure. So, you’re not going to want to have a team lose in the SEC championship game and get bumped out, if BYU wins the Big 12. Did that come up in the room?

Yurachek: You bet your heinie it did. If we boot the SEC’s runner-up, we’ll never hear the end of it from Greg Sankey. He’d threaten to break off and stage his own playoff or start talking about “Sesame Street” again, and nobody wants another round of that.

Davis: So, you’re saying that Alabama moving up in the rankings had nothing to do with the Tide’s performance against Auburn, or Kalen DeBoer’s gutsy fourth-down play call?

Yurachek: Are you serious? Alabama looked miserable for most of that second half. No, the rankings adjustment didn’t have to do with the Iron Bowl. We just realized we had a potential problem, if we kept Alabama at No. 10. Tell ya the truth, though, we’d love it if Alabama lost the SEC championship game and BYU lost, too. Then, do you know what we’ve cooked up?

Davis: Pretty sure I do, but I’m going to pretend I don’t, to create a little suspense.

Yurachek: Sure. Right. Suspense. Let’s do a little of that. *Dramatic pause.*

Davis: *Waiting.*

Yurachek: Was that suspenseful enough?

Davis: I guess.

Yurachek: Great. So, if Alabama loses and BYU loses, what we’ll do is flip Notre Dame back to No. 9, and Alabama back to No. 10. That way, we can avoid Oklahoma-Alabama and Texas A&M-Notre Dame rematches in the playoff. We’ll cook up Oklahoma-Notre Dame and Texas A&M-Alabama instead.

Davis: Right. I can see that.

Yurachek: So, Alabama being No. 9 is just a placeholder, so we can keep the Tide in the bracket if they lose to Georgia and BYU wins the Big 12.

Davis: Wouldn’t this be easier if we skipped this weekly charade and waited until the end of the season to reveal the rankings?

Yurachek: Of course. But, the suspense, right? Plus, ESPN needs to give you something to do on Tuesdays.

Davis: Good point. Job security for me. OK, let’s get to head-to-head. You’re honoring head-to-head by ranking Oklahoma ahead of Alabama.But, you’ve still got Notre Dame ahead of Miami. Neither of those teams play this weekend. Can they still move in the rankings, or are they set?

Yurachek: Rece, we can do whatever we darn well please. Nothing’s set. Are you kidding me? We could put the king of England in a first-round game against Lane Kiffin if we wanted.

Davis: I don’t think you can actually do that.

Yurachek: Well, maybe not. Lane would probably quit before the game. But, point is, nothing’s set. Remember, this is all just programming and #content until Selection Sunday.

Davis: Yes, and job security for me.

Yurachek: Bingo, buddy.

Davis: So, we’re not set with Miami definitively being behind Notre Dame, no matter what?

Yurachek: Rece, how many times are you going to ask me about Miami-Notre Dame?

Davis: I’ll take that as Miami still having a chance.

Yurachek: Everyone’s still got a chance until we say they don’t on selection day. Except Vanderbilt. They’re out.

Davis: Why?

Yurachek: Do you really have to ask?

Davis: No, but getting back to Miami.

Yurachek: This again? Ask me about something else.

Davis: OK, so this coaching hire you made . . .

Yurachek: Uh, never mind that. Didn’t you have something you wanted to ask me about Miami?

Davis: Yeah, so, nothing’s set until it’s set?

Yurachek: I think you’re getting the idea, Rece.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

The 2025 Formula 1 season began nearly nine months ago in Melbourne, Australia.

Twenty-three races have led the grid of 20 drivers and countless fans across the world to the site of the regular season finale: the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

For much of the year, the battle for the drivers’ championship seemed to be between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The team won its second consecutive constructors’ title two months ago behind what’s been the fastest car for most of the year.

Then Max Verstappen happened.

The four-time defending world champion’s been on a charge following the summer break. Verstappen managed just two wins in the first 15 races this year. But everything changed at the Italian Grand Prix as he’s rattled off five wins in the last eight events.

Those results, in addition to McLaren’s drop in pace, means the championship is undecided entering the final race for the first time since 2021. This year is an even more unusual situation: three drivers are still in the running for the title entering the finale for just the seventh time ever and the first since 2010.

Norris won the season finale in Abu Dhabi last season, but that is far from where we are now. It all comes down to Sunday’s race at the Yas Marina Circuit to decide whether a new name joins the list of F1 champions – Norris or Piastri – or if Verstappen joins even more rarified air in the sport’s history as a five-time champion.

Norris holds a 12-point lead over Verstappen and a 16-point lead over teammate Piastri. The winning driver earns 25 points so there are plenty of scenarios in which each driver could take the title. Here’s how each driver could win the F1 drivers’ championship:

Lando Norris title scenarios

Norris has the points lead entering the finale and with it has the most straightforward title scenarios. He can clinch the title if he finishes first, second or third – regardless of where Verstappen or Piastri finish.

If he fails to finish on the podium, here are all the other scenarios in which he can win the title:

• Norris 4th, Verstappen 2nd and Piastri anywhere
• Norris 5th, Verstappen 2nd and Piastri anywhere
• Norris 6th and neither Verstappen nor Piastri win
• Norris 7th and neither Verstappen nor Piastri win
• Norris 8th, Verstappen 3rd and Piastri 2nd
• Norris 9th, Verstappen 4th and Piastri 2nd
• Norris 10th, Verstappen 4th and Piastri 3rd
• Norris 11th or worse, Verstappen 4th and Piastri 3rd

Max Verstappen title scenarios

With his late-season charge and history of dominance, Verstappen certainly has momentum on his side. He’d make a historic comeback from more than 100 points back in the championship chase to take his fifth title.

To win the title, Verstappen must finish on the podium. Here are the scenarios in which he can win the title:

• Verstappen 1st, Norris 4th and Piastri anywhere
• Verstappen 2nd, Norris 8th and Piastri does not win
• Verstappen 3rd, Norris 9th and Piastri does not win

Oscar Piastri title scenarios

Piastri looked to be the dominant driver at McLaren for much of the season with four wins in the first six races. That form dropped off over time, though, and he hasn’t won a Grand Prix race since the end of August.

With the biggest deficit to the leader Norris, Piastri has the slimmest chances of winning the title. He needs to finish either first or second and get help to make that happen. Here are his scenarios to win the title:

• Piastri 1st, Norris 6th and Verstappen anywhere
• Piastri 2nd, Norris 10th and Verstappen 4th

This NBA season isn’t going the way Ja Morant wanted.

He initially clashed in the locker room with the Memphis Grizzlies new coaching staff. Then, he clashed with Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson. He’s been the subject of constant trade rumors. He hasn’t played all that well. And he’s injured again.

On that last front, though, the narrative could be changing soon. After missing more than two weeks of action due to a right calf strain, Morant appears to inching closer to a return. The Grizzlies offered an encouraging update on the status of their star point guard on Thursday, Dec. 4.

Memphis went 5-3 in the eight games Morant missed since leaving their Nov. 15 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter. The team is 5-5 overall this season when Morant doesn’t play.

Here’s the latest on Morant’s injury situation and whether he’s slated to return to the court when the Grizzlies host the Los Angeles Clippers at FedEx Forum on Friday, Dec. 5:

Is Ja Morant playing today?

No, Morant was listed as out on the Grizzlies injury report for the ninth consecutive game after suffering a right calf strain in a Nov. 15 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He will be out of the lineup when the Grizzlies host the Clippers tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

Ja Morant injury update

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo told reporters in Memphis after a practice on Thursday, Dec. 4 that Morant was ‘day-to-day,’ according to The Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network. The team initially said it would re-evaluate the point guard after two weeks. Morant was seen shooting during the practice, and Iisalo noted he had been participating in non-full speed and non-contact drills.

‘He’s already moving and able to do some things with the team, so looking positive,’ Iisalo said on Thursday.

Ja Morant stats

Morant’s numbers are down across the board this season. He’s averaging 17.9 points, which would be his lowest scoring output since his rookie season in 2019-20, and dishing out 7.6 assists per game. Morant is also shooting a career-worst 35.9% from the field and 16.7% from 3-point range in 12 games this season.